Furniture caster



March 15, 1932. T P. DUNCAN. JR

FURNITURE CASTER Filed Sept. 27. 1950 gwuentoz T, RD u n aaIzJ" PatentedMar. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES THOMAS P. DUNCAN, JR., OF NEWPCRT NEWS,VIRGINIA FURNITURE (EASTER Application filed September 27, 1930.SeriaLNo; 484,903.

This invention relates to improvements in furniture casters.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a furniturecaster having a fibrous floor engaging tuft, with improved means forsecuring the tuft to a carrying body whereby the cutting of the strandsof material of which the tuft is made up is prevented both when thecarrying body is closed about the tuft and when it is secured inposition upon the bottom of the leg of an article of furniture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a furniture caster whichmay be readily applied and which will offer a noise-proof support.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding,however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformitywith the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so longas such changes or modifications mark no material departure from thesalient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the caster embodying the presentinvention showing the same applied.

Figure 2 is a View showing the carrying member for the tufted portion ofthe caster in cross-section, with the adjacent portion of the supportingfurniture leg in section also.

Figure 3 is a view in top plan of the caster per se.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, thenumeral 1 indicates the lower portion of the leg of an article offurniture showing the present improved caster, which is indicatedgenerally by the numeral 2, applied thereto.

In the present caster there is provided a tuft of fibrous material whichis indicated by the numeral 3, this material being provided in the formof a short rope about one end of which a carrying member 4 is secured.The carrying member 4: is formed of relatively heavy metal and is, ofannular design, as shown in Figure 3. V This carrying body 4 isofsubstantially U-shaped cross-sectional design, as shown in Figure 2,having therefore the inner and outer walls 5 and 6, the roundedconnecting portion 7 being directed downwardly in the completed caster.

This annular body 4 is split as indicated 59 at 8 so that in the makingof the caster it may be opened up slightly to permit of the insertion ofone end of the fabric body 3 after which it is closed so as to tightlygrip the same, the inner side of the inner wall 5 of the body encirclingand firmly holding the body of fibrous material 3. The upper end of thebody 3 is allowed to project slightly beyond the top edges of the wallsof the caster so that when the caster is placed in position, as shown inFigure 2, this projecting portion will be brought into firm contact withthe lower surface of the leg of the article of furniture and grippedfirmly between it and the top edge of the wall 5. The top edge of theouter wall 6 of the carrying body has formed integral therewith a numberof spurs 9 which may be driven into the body carrying the caster in themanner shown.

From the foregoing description it will bereadily seen that in a casterconstructed in accordance with the present invention the fibres makingup the tuft 3 will be gripped by a relatively broad surface so that nonethereof will be cut and therefore the tuft will not shed any of itsfibres. It will also be seen, as has been previously described, thatwhen the caster is applied the fibres, being firmly compressed betweenthe top edge of the wall portion 5 of the carrying body and the leg 1 towhich the caster is attached, will be found firmly secured againstescape. Then the caster is in use the tuft will spread out in the mannershown in Figure 1 so as to provide a broad soft supporting surface whichwill carry the article to which it is attached in such a manner that itmay be moved about without noise and without damage to polished floorsurfaces.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A caster of the character described, comprising an annular body ofsubstantially U- shaped cross sectional design forming relatively Wideinner and outer portions connected by a rounded intermediate portion,spur members formed integral with and extending from the free edge ofthe outer portion, and a rope like body of fibrous material extended atone end through and tightly secured in said inner portion, the outer endof the body being frayed out to form a supporting tuft overlying therounded intermediate portion and the inner end of the body being spreadto overlie the free edge of the inner portion.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

THOMAS P. DUNCAN, JR.

